SXSW 2021 Review: ‘How It Ends’ Proves Originality Still Exists in Cinema, and Not All Films Need to End in a Sequel

In a world where a four-hour cut of a CGI superhero movie is getting praised as the best film of all time, it’s nice to sit back and watch a truly original film full of comedy, simplicity, and heart. “How It Ends” is one such movie. With an all-star cast, two extremely likable leads, and a beautiful message to boot, “How It Ends” is one of the best films of the year.

“How It Ends” is about a woman named Liza as she races to get to the last party before the world ends. Accompanying her is her younger self (she’s metaphysical) who bears a striking resemblance to her older counterpart. An occurring theme throughout the film is how casual everybody is, both about the end of the world and the fact that the younger version of Liza is following her around. It makes for some extremely funny and dry humor, one not totally found anywhere else.

Liza and Liza are really the only main characters of the film. Despite having some A-List actors such as Fred Armisen, Helen Hunt, Olivia Wilde, Lamorne Morris, Nick Kroll, and more, we only get to see them briefly. Basically, as our two protagonists are walking to the party, they randomly bump into these eccentric cast of characters, who talk for five minutes about their crazy lives, and then leave. It sounds repetitive, but each character is so wildly different and they meet in such distinct ways that each new player feels fresh and new. Weirdly, I can see this easily turned into a stage play, and I would be first in line to see it. 

Zoe Lister-Jones and Cailee Spaeny (who play older and younger Liza, respectively) are the heart of the film. I won’t spoil it, but they convey such a beautiful message of self-love. Most films themes are about altruism and being good to others—but rarely do films discuss being good to yourself, making this an extremely unique take. 

I really liked the formula of them visiting the different characters, but I was a little sad to see them go so quickly. They were so fun and entertaining (Fred Armisen and Lamorne Morris, particularly) and I was disappointed that we only got a taste of them. But by keeping the focus on the Lizas, we get truly amazing character development, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

There’s some crazy details sprinkled throughout the entire film. For example, the meteor that’s going to hit Earth at 2 AM that night is shown gradually coming closer in every shot that includes the sky. It’s a blink-if-you-miss-it moment, but it adds to the experience tenfold.

I feel as if lately in the film industry, originality is lost. I can barely think of ten movies in the past couple of years that aren’t prequels, sequels, reboots, or spin-offs. And don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond excited for the recently announced slate of the dozens of Marvel and “Star Wars” projects. But I’m worried that if we continue to be fed all of this content, people will begin to grow tired of it. There’s not enough 90-minute movies where once they’re done, they’re done. There always has to be a sequel, or a different cut, or a spin-off, and it’s beginning to get a little hard to take. “How It Ends” thrives in its lack of future. Just one beautiful, original, fantastic film. 

“How It Ends” proves you don’t need a multi-million dollar budget or a cinematic universe to make a good film. All it takes is a good cast and characters that the audience actually cares about. The film isn’t just my favorite film of the SXSW Film Festival—its originality makes it one of my favorite films of all time.